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TRENDS IN ROAD GOODS TRANSPORT, 1962-1977

Data on goods vehicles and their activities over the period 1962-1977 are examined to identify some of the major changes that have taken place in road freight transport operations. The report considers vehicle stock, new registrations, goods movement, length of haul, vehicle utilization, and vehicle operating costs. Among the conclusions are that the growth in number of the 32-ton lorries is related to increasing length of haul (haul lengths for vehicles of a given size have changed relatively little); that average annual travel for vehicles of a given size has not changed as much as might have been expected from improvements in inter-urban running speeds; and that the average load factor has decreased for all but the smallest vehicles. (crown copyright 1980).